2.4.2 Changes to ministerial responsibility

Question 1

Can collective responsibility be set aside?

Answer 1

• yes: it was formally set aside during the 2016 EU referendum campaign so that ministers could campaign for either side of the vote
• furthermore, collectively responsibility was also suspended in October 2016 so that ministers could maintain individual positions on the decision to build a third runway at Heathrow

Question 2

Example: How have PMs made changes to ministerial responsibility?

Answer 2

• David Cameron allowed ministers to publicly disagree with the government’s stated Remain position during the Brexit referendum campaign; however, in a letter to ministers he made it clear that this exception only applied to “the question of whether we should remain in the EU or leave”
• through this action, Cameron made it clear that collective responsibility still applied to all “other EU or EU-related business”, in addition to the government’s domestic policies

Question 3

What situations may lead to changes in ministerial responsibility?

Answer 3

• historically, collective responsibility has also been relaxed during periods of coalition government
• for example, during the 2010-15 Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, collectively responsibility was set aside for certain party political issues, including the 2011 referendum on electoral reform